Consistency is Key to Bowling

I’d like to tell you about a friend of mine, who just happens to be a consistently great bowler. His name is Eddy, but I like to call him Steady Eddy. I’ve known Steady Eddy for a long time – let me tell you about his track record and what makes him such a great player.

Early in Eddy’s career, he didn’t have a lot of success. But Eddy learned to accept failure and learn from it. As he learned to accept the failures, he learned not to get too upset when this happened. It’s not that he thought that it was no big deal, but he did learn that it was not the end of the world.

Mental Game Keys to Consistency

As Eddy got better, he got some mental coaching and got better at not getting too high or too low during a tournament. Eddy learned that emotions are not a bad thing, and you can express yourself on the lanes. However, Eddy realized that you can not let your emotions keep you from maintaining focus on a consistent
basis from shot to shot. Eddy learned to maintain a consistent demeanor that was also consistent with his personality – since Eddy likes to joke and talk to people, he does that during a tournament. However, when it’s time to make a shot, Eddy steps up to the line and gets the same mental focus every time. Those few
times when he doesn’t get full focus on the shot, you can guarantee that he will have that focus on the next shot.

Using Your Mental Outlook to Make your Physical Game Better

However, it’s not just Eddy’s mental game that earned him this nickname. Eddy also learned a lot about the physical game. Eddy learned that you don’t have to make your best shots, but you do have to make consistent shots during competition. Eddy learned that if you consistently make good shots that are the same every time, and he lines up to this level of shot making, he will be able to hit the pocket consistently and have an easier time reading the lanes and making adjustments. Of course, Eddy has to make adjustments during the tournament with ball speed and hand position, but he quickly learns a feel for what his body will allow him to do consistently, and works within that framework.

Also, Eddy learned some key things about shot making, like making sure the ball side of his body (ball side foot, hip, shoulder elbow and hand) is aligned to his target line, and getting the ball into the swing without controlling the downswing. Eddy has learned that it is more important to keep his speed and direction consistent than it is to hit the exact board that he is looking at, and it has paid off with keeping the ball in play all the time, and sometimes getting strikes off marginal shots.

Consistency in Competition

Eddy bowled 10 tournaments this year. He has cashed in 8 of the 10 tournaments. However, he learned a lot from the two tournaments in which he did not cash – in fact, he learned more from those two tournaments than he did in the other eight. Eddy learned that he didn’t match up too well in one tournament, but in the
last block he figured out a combination using a less hooking ball and a different hand position that worked very well. Two tournaments later, Eddy saw a similar lane condition, immediately used what he had learned two tournaments later, and won the tournament! Eddy knows that, as the wise Dr. Dean Hinitz says, “Everything in life is practice for the next thing in life.” This means that if you waste opportunities to learn from a situation, you can be that the same situation will appear again until you do figure it out. By learning from a situation, by taking a situation in which you are out of the tournament and learning from it, by being STEADY by working hard to achieve until the very end of the tournament, Eddy used a tournament in which he did not cash to help him WIN another tournament.

Learning How to Repeat Shots

Eddy has learned that he doesn’t have to or want to use his “max release” and biggest ball all the time. He has put together an arsenal of balls that compliment each other and give Eddy plenty of options. He has also learned how to combine ball speed and hand position with different balls to create even more possibilities. Eddy can take a ball that is closest to the ball reaction he wants and make slight changes to get that ball to match up to the current lane condition.

Learning to Be Consistent

Finally Eddy practices to get better and to make sure he is consistent. He learns in practice what works and what doesn’t, trying new things that he can eventually incorporate into his competition arsenal. Eddy knows that practice is a key to keeping his mind and his body in competitive shape to bowl at his best. Yes, Eddy has learned, practiced, and worked to make himself a consistent casher and occasional winner. He accepts the successes with the failures, enjoying the moments of success as a reward for all of his hard work. He also knows that there will be another day, another chance to learn and grow, and Eddy doesn’t let this tournament win go to his head. Eddy keeps that steady demeanor that allows him to have consistent success on the lanes – and in life.